


The Truth or Dare Job

by phantisma



Series: Vamp!Nate [4]
Category: Leverage
Genre: M/M, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-07
Updated: 2011-05-31
Packaged: 2017-12-06 16:31:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/737764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantisma/pseuds/phantisma
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eliot, Nate and Hardison are still adjusting to the changes in their lives since Eliot was changed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The sun was nipping at the horizon when Eliot let himself into the house, exhausted to the point of his hands shaking as he closed and locked the door, sore from the night’s activity and wanting nothing as much as a hot shower and to sleep until his body had recovered.

He stopped at Ryna’s door on his way to the bathroom. Her hair covered her pillow and her face was peaceful in sleep. Merlin poked his head up over her arm, blinking at Eliot.

He nodded at the cat and withdrew, trusting his daughter would sleep at least a few hours, and content herself with her Saturday morning of cat and toys and cartoons for a few more beyond that.

He stripped out of clothing that would need washing soon to keep the smell of blood and flesh from taking over the house. That was one of the first things he had learned about his new condition, his sense of smell had become so acute that it could overpower the input to nearly any other sense. 

He started the shower and stepped in under hot water, watching as mud and blood, grass and bits of leaves washed away under his feet. He had left the house at sunset, drove out of the city and parked the truck, stripped naked and let himself shift completely. 

The night air was all there was to witness it, to watch him run, climb, forage, hunt…he explored the limits of his abilities, the power and strength of what he had become. In the early hours he’d brought down a deer, drinking the hot blood before tearing into the flesh and eating until the beast was satisfied.

He had stripped what remained of the meat once he’d shifted back to human, packed it in the cooler in the truck. It would keep until he had slept. 

The hot water beat against muscles sore from the combination of exertions. He sighed and bowed his head, letting it flow down his back before he turned the water off and climbed out to towel off.

Eliot wrapped a towel around his waist and yawned, opening the door that led into the bedroom he shared with Nate. The room smelled of sex and sweat, both recent. Nate’s eyes opened as Eliot neared. Hardison was sprawled out beside Nate, covering better than half of the bed, his right leg twined through Nate’s. Eliot could hear the slow beat of his heart that told him Nate had fed well.

Moving him would be more work than it was worth. The man slept like the dead after Nate fed. He leaned in, pressing a kiss to Nate’s lips. “I’ll sleep on the couch,” he said, his voice gruff, yet soft.

He tamped down on the stab of jealousy and anger that spiked inside him. Nate needed Hardison. Eliot had no business telling him he couldn’t have what he needed. He crossed to the dresser and pulled on a pair of boxers.

It burned, knowing that he wasn’t what Nate needed any more, but they were all still making adjustments. The cat inside him affected all of them.

He padded out to the linen closet, pulling out sheets and a pillow, before going to the couch and spreading them out. He wanted to be in his own bed, wanted to feel the cool touch of Nate’s skin, to finish off his night with a whole different sort of activity.

He laid down and closed his eyes, pushing the petty jealousy away, but it lingered, leading his thoughts down a path of violence that he didn’t really want. It didn’t help that as he turned his head toward the back of the couch he could smell Hardison in the fabric.

Eliot growled and rolled to face out into the living room, trying to find a comfortable position.

"Come to bed."

Nate's voice stopped him, made him look up to where Nate leaned on the door to the bedroom, his arms crossed over his bare chest.

Eliot shook his head. "He needs to sleep."

"So do you." Nate chided. 

Eliot snarled and sat up. "I'm trying not to be petty here."

Nate lifted an eyebrow. "How's that working for you?"

Eliot pulled his hand through wet hair and bit off the sharp response. "To be honest? It ain't." He stood and stalked to where Nate was still casually leaning on the doorframe. "Cause what I want to do is drag you back in there and show him that you were mine first."

Nate actually chuckled. Eliot started to stalk away, pissed, but Nate pulled him back. Eliot bristled, even as Nate's hand cupped to his cheek. "It's natural to be jealous."

"I'm not…jealous." Eliot growled, though his eyes flicked over Nate's shoulder into the dark of the bedroom.

"No, then what is this?"

"I'm tired." Eliot stepped back, headed for the couch. "Long night."

"And you came home, expecting the comfort of your bed, only to find Hardison already there." Nate said as followed.

Eliot sighed. "Okay, fine. You want me to admit it? Fuck, yes. Okay? I'm jealous. It's my bed. He's in it more than I am lately."

"It isn't like we can't move him. He won't even know."

"That isn't the point."

"Okay, what is the point?"

Eliot sagged, dropping back onto the couch. He rubbed his hands over his face, pulled them back through his hair, tugging a little to try to bring focus to his exhaustion. "I don't know. I'm…really tired. I just want to sleep."

Nate nodded. "Fine, but we aren't done. I'll bring Hardison out here. Get your ass to bed."

 

Sleep should have come easily with as tired as he was. Nate carried Hardison out to the couch and Eliot crawled into their bed, fatigue pulling at every muscle in his body.

The silence in the room was thick, deep. 

Eliot rolled onto his back and stared into the dark toward the ceiling. With the blinds that kept Nate safe from the sun, the room was darker than the rest of the house, perfect for sleeping.

Except now that he was here in the bed, in the silence, in the dark…sleep seemed to slip away into the shadows.

He sighed and forced himself to close his eyes. He cleared his mind and breathed deep and slow. The calm didn’t last long, flashes of his night in the woods flooding in, the exhilaration as he shifted, let the animal out of him…the fire in his limbs as he ran.

He pushed the feelings away, breathing in again and holding the breath until his mind had cleared again. Then he let it out slow.

He could feel Nate, in the kitchen. He could smell Hardison…on the sheets, in the air. His heart thumped with desire to possess him, the way Nate obviously had. Eliot groaned as an image filled his head, of the two of them here, in this bed, bodies naked and slicked with sweat as Nate pulled Hardison back against him…Hardison’s head falling back on Nate’s shoulder as he pressed down onto him, riding Nate, offering his neck for the inevitable bite.

Eliot kicked off the suddenly stifling sheets and rolled over onto his side, punching his pillow…but that just made the scent of Nate on the pillow stronger. He was hard and aching.

He sat up and shook his head. He needed to sleep. But that wasn’t coming easily apparently. He ran a hand over his face, stopping when he realized his hands had begun shifting. He inhaled and pulled the cat inside deeper. Slowly his hands reverted, the claws disappearing.

He should have better control after spending the night letting the cat run. If just the thought of sex was enough to bring the animal out without him realizing it…He stood and paced to the window, then back to the bed. He could hear Nate now, hear the soft whisper of his bare feet on the floors, the resonance of his voice as he talked on the phone. 

Hardison moved on the couch, the sound of the sheets on his skin making Eliot wish it was his hands on that skin…remembering the sound he made when Eliot held him down. He swallowed the need rising in him and forced himself away from the door.

Nate moved closer, Eliot could feel him, drawn perhaps by Eliot's restlessness. The door opened and Nate eased inside. "You should be sleeping."

"Can't." His nearness wasn't helping. Eliot blew out air and shook his head.

Nate came closer, and Eliot hissed when Nate touched his arm. Literally, hissed. Like an angry cat.

"Did you feed?" Nate asked, pulling his hand away.

"Yeah. Whole fucking deer." Eliot responded. 

"Clearly that wasn't enough."

"What the fuck else do you want me to do? You already fed on Hardison. I can't take more."

"Here." Nate offered his wrist, but Eliot shook his head.

"Won't help."

"You don't know that." Nate pulled off the t-shirt he had put on when he'd gotten up, tossing it aside as he moved closer.

"It'll make it worse." Eliot said, shaking his head again as Nate pulled him in, tilting his head away, offering his neck. He wanted it, he could feel the need to bite, to suck life into himself, but Nate didn't have what he needed. Just like Eliot didn't have what Nate needed anymore.

"Try." Nate's voice was soft, seductive and his hand pressed Eliot closer to his skin.

His fangs descended before he was aware of it, and Eliot licked his lips before licking over Nate's skin. He breathed in deep, then bit. It wasn't like biting Hardison. The blood wasn't warm, it was flat and there was a fleeting taste of whiskey and sex as he swallowed. 

After a few swallows he pulled back, wiping his mouth. The hunger roared inside him. The vampire part of him wanted out, wanted to taste fresh blood, to feel the life fill him as he drank it from someone else. Eliot turned away, fighting to contain it. 

It was going to be a losing battle.

"I have to go." He pushed past Nate, but Nate caught him and pulled him back.

"Not like this." 

He could hear the heartbeats of Ryna and Hardison, even the damn cat calling to him. "I have to. Before I hurt them."

"I won't let you hurt them." Nate countered.

Eliot looked him in the eye, trembling from head to toe with the effort to keep himself from them. "I’m not sure you can stop me."

 

He pushed the shades up closer to his skin, the sun blinding, his skin itching from its touch, as he tried to find some dark, empty hole to hide in until he could get control of himself.

The hunger gnawed at him and he didn't have to look in passing windows to know that his mouth was fanged, his eyes gone to red. He put as much distance as he could between himself and people while still managing to stay out of the sun as much as possible.

They had no idea really how prolonged exposure to the sun would affect him. He had enough vampire in him that it could kill him. But then, the cat wasn't affected by the sun. None of them had been ready to put that to the test yet.

Eliot stopped inside a warehouse in a dark, abandoned industrial area of the city, breathing hard. Nate wasn't wrong. He was going to have to feed the beast to quiet it, but Eliot knew that feeding when he was this out of control would lead to killing.

It was just further proof that he was no longer what Nate needed…that his body was no longer adequate, and he would never have the self-control that Nate somehow possessed.

He stalked deeper into the abandoned building, not realizing that he was stalking toward something until he rounded a corner. He could smell blood and booze and sex as two men moved and as they separated to come at him, Eliot could hear the girl crying.

He roared as the hunger burned and the men came at him armed with crowbars, still reeking of the booze and sweat. He reacted without thinking, ducking, kicking, turning, and then he had one of them, his neck exposed and Eliot couldn’t have stopped himself if he’d tried.

He drank until the man’s heart stopped, fast and deep, before dropping him and cracking his neck as he turned to find the other one, who was just picking himself up off the floor, hobbling as he hesitated. 

Eliot could see him trying to decide between rushing at him or running away and when he saw Eliot’s face, he opted for running. Two steps and Eliot had him, drinking him nearly as fast, riding him to the dusty floor.

Eliot’s heart thumped against his ribs as the heat of the blood filled him. He lifted his face, his eyes narrowing, tracing the girl in the shadows. She had stopped crying and was staring at him in horror.

“Can you stand?” Eliot asked, climbing to his feet and wiping his bloody face on his sleeve. She stared back, shaking. He took two steps closer and she pulled her legs in, one hand on the wall as she tried to stand and move away from him.

“I won’t hurt you.” Eliot said, holding out a hand toward her. “Let me help you.”

“What-what are you?” she asked, her voice small and trembling.

Eliot stopped, his turn to stare at her.

“Stay…stay away from me.” She inched along the wall, her eyes on him as she moved, her whole body shaking. When she felt safe enough to try, she ran away from him, into the shadows.

Eliot turned, his eye catching on the watery reflection of his face in a dusty window. His skin glowed pale in the little bit of light that came in the distant windows, and his fangs protruded over his lips. His brow was more pronounced than normal, though not nearly what it became when he was in cat form. Blood smeared his face and dripped from his chin, stained the front of his shirt.

He was a monster.

The rage faded and with it the changes left his face until he was his own human self again…only not really. It was only an illusion. Under the skin he could see it, sense it…the signs that he was something else now…and it was easy to see why Nate drank the way he did. 

His hands trembled as he fumbled with his phone, not sure who to call to come pick him up. The blood burned inside him, pushing back the fatigue, but he would burn through it fast and when he crashed it would be hard and heavy and he would need to sleep.

Eliot finally dialed Nate's number.

"You okay?"

"Yeah…fine." Eliot responded. "I'm gonna need a ride home." He squinted at the front of the building for the number and relayed the address, then ducked back into the shade.

It didn't take long for Nate to find him and Eliot dashed from the shadows of the building into the truck. They were silent a long time, but as they turned onto the street where they lived, Eliot shifted in his seat. "I killed two people. Drank them dry."

Nate stopped them in the driveway and turned to look at him. "The hunger is difficult to control, especially when you're as new to it as you are."

Eliot made a face and stared at the house. "I didn't even hesitate. They were…it doesn't matter what they were doing. I killed them."

Nate's hand came to rest on his thigh, rubbing lightly. "It's going to take time, Eliot. You have to figure out who you are now—"

"You mean _what_ I am now." Eliot countered, opening the door and climbing out. "I've always been capable of killing, Nate. I just do it more efficiently now."

He stormed into the house, but stopped cold when Ryna looked up from her cartoons and Hardison looked at him all guilty and slightly timid. "I need some sleep," he muttered as he moved past them, hoping they would all take the hint and leave him alone for a few hours.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryna questions Nate and Eliot about what's going on. Nate helps Eliot work through some of his aggression. And Hardison helps pick up the pieces.

“Nate, can I ask you a question?”

Nate looked up from the newspaper and offered the little girl a smile. “Of course.”

She bit her lip and stared into her glass of chocolate milk for a long time. “Is Eliot okay?”

Nate sighed and lifted his coffee cup filled with whiskey, sipping at it before setting it back down. “I think so.”

She made a face at him. “I don’t like it when you lie to me because you don’t think I’ll understand the answer.”

“Is that what you think I’m doing?”

She looked him in the eye and for a moment looked so much like Eliot he had to blink. She was smarter than he sometimes gave her credit for, also so much like Eliot it was freaky.

“Okay, how about this…Eliot is doing good, considering everything he’s been through.”

She nodded and went back to her chocolate milk for a minute, though he could tell she was thinking hard. “Did you make him like you?” she asked after a long pause.

Nate choked and sat forward, squinting at her. “Did I what?”

She pushed her milk away and turned her chair to face him. “You heard me fine. Did you make him like you?”

Nate licked his lips and contemplated how to answer her. “Not exactly.”

She frowned at him and crossed her arms. “Explain.”

Nate stood and paced the kitchen. “I can’t. Not without Eliot.”

“He lies worse than you.” Ryna responded.

“Neither one of us lies without reason, Ryna.” Nate soothed, coming back to the table. “There are secrets we have to keep. To keep us safe. To keep you safe.”

“I can keep secrets.” Ryna insisted. “I haven’t told anyone about you. No one at school knows about you. Well, they know you’re part of my family and that you live here, but I told them you do insurance stuff. It’s like your secret identity.”

Nate had to chuckle. “Harmless insurance adjuster, huh? And what’s Eliot’s secret identity?”

“He’s harder. He’s all ‘grr’ and gruff. I told them he was a fireman.”

“A what?” Eliot appeared in the doorway, rubbing his face. He looked a whole lot better than when he had crawled into bed, though it was easy to see he was still rough around the edges.

“A fireman. Cause you’re always banged up and running off."

Eliot crossed his arms over his bare chest and gave his daughter a small smile. "I guess as secret identities go, that ain't so bad."

"See, I'm good at secrets." Ryna insisted, turning back to Nate.

"What's this about?" Eliot asked finally, pushing off the doorframe and shuffling to the coffee pot that Hardison had left half full.

“Nate won’t tell me what’s wrong with you.” Ryna turned to follow Eliot’s movements.

Eliot looked at Nate who shrugged minutely. “What makes you think there’s something wrong with me?” Eliot asked, turning back to Ryna.

She crossed her arms and gave him a look that could have been on his own face. “You’re crankier than usual, you go out late and come back dirty and smelly and you have blood on your clothes. I think Nate made you a vampire. Like him.”

Eliot frowned hard and shook his head. “No, of course he didn’t. You can’t just go around blurting stuff like that.”

“I didn’t blurt.” Ryna said indignantly. “I asked first, but you both treat me like I’m some dumb kid.”

Eliot inhaled and Nate could almost see the way his thoughts jumped around before he exhaled slowly and went to take Ryna by the hand, drawing her back to the table. He sat and lifted her into his lap. 

“You are not dumb, and neither of us thinks that. You are still a kid though, and there are things we need to keep you safe from. Do you understand that?” She nodded and he adjusted her weight. “Good. Now, you are smart. I have changed. But I am not a vampire. Okay?”

She nodded slowly. “Are you okay though?”

“I’m working on it, Ryna. I’m still figuring it all out.”

“And you would tell me if you weren’t okay, right? Like…if you were sick?”

“I would. I promise.” Eliot said, kissing her forehead. “You done with your lunch?” She nodded and he nudged her off his knee. “Why don’t you go play with Merlin then, let Nate and I talk.”

Nate watched her run off, then watched Eliot pull himself together. “We won’t be able to keep the truth from her for long.” Nate observed.

Eliot nodded as he stood. “But for now, she doesn’t need to know how fucked up her father is.”

 

“Eliot—“

Eliot held up a hand and shook his head. “No, Nate. I’m fine.”

“She’s right, you do lie worse than I do.” Nate reached for him, but Eliot pulled away. “Come on, even Ryna can see that you aren’t okay.”

Eliot glared at him. “Fine, what is it you want to hear?”

Nate crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. “I want you to talk to me, Eliot.”

“Right, cause that’s how this works with us. Talking.”

“Things are different now.” Nate said softly. “You can’t bottle it up, or you’ll end up hurting someone.”

“It’s what I do.” Eliot growled. “I hurt people, remember? I was a killer long before you ever bit me for the first time Nate.” He started to storm away.

“So tell me why it bothers you now when it didn’t before.” 

Eliot stopped in the doorway. He didn’t look at Nate, but his fists were clenched and Nate could see the beginnings of the cat coming out in them. “Eliot.”

“What?” he growled through clenched teeth.

Blood dripped from his hands to the floor as claws dug into his skin.

“Eliot, stop.”

Nate grabbed his shoulder and turned him, cursing when he saw the blood on Eliot’s face too, his lips torn from fangs clenching down on them.

“Stop.”

“Why?” Eliot pulled away from him.

“You’re hurting yourself.”

Eliot stormed away, past Hardison who was just coming out of the bathroom, down the hall. Nate followed, Hardison tailing him, all the way down to the gym. “Just leave me alone.” Eliot said. Eliot’s hands were full claws now, more than half way through his shift, and he left long, angry red welts across his stomach and chest as he pulled his shirt off.

“No.” Nate responded. “I’ve done that. It hasn’t worked.”

“I’m warning you, Nate—“ He growled, that deep, chest level growl that was all cat. 

“Eliot, man…”

“Get lost Hardison.” Eliot hissed and turned away, punching the heavy bag. It broke open, spilling sand onto the floor.

“Hardison, I want you to take Ryna and got out for a while. When you come back, bring blood and meat.” Nate said, putting himself between Eliot and Hardison. 

“You sure that’s—“

“Just do it, and lock the gym door behind you.”

Eliot hissed and growled at Nate as the door shut and Nate pulled his own shirt off. “You want to hurt someone, Eliot? I’m right here. You want to get bloody, fine. Lets.”

“Get out.” 

“No.”

Eliot was huffing through his nose, his body starting to cover in fine fur as the shift depend. “I don’t want to hurt you.” 

Nate crossed the floor and Eliot backed up as he approached. “Stay back.”

Nate let his own shift happen, his fangs descending, his eyes going black. “No.”

He had Eliot against the mirrored wall, his hands covering the wounds in Eliot’s stomach. “You want it to hurt, Eliot? I can make it hurt.” Nate moved fast, fingers slipping in blood as he bit Eliot’s shoulder.

Eliot roared and shoved him back, raking a bloody line across Nate’s chest.

“Come on.” Nate pulled his sweatpants down, dropping them and stepping clear. “Come on.”

Eliot pounced, literally, and they went down together, rolling until they hit the treadmill. Eliot growled down into Nate’s face, blood dripping from his cut lips. 

Nate pushed him away, flipping them. He bit down on Eliot’s nipple, drawing blood before Eliot’s knees crushed in on his hips and Eliot sat up, knocking Nate over backwards. His claws dug into Nate’s shoulders, his mouth open as he dove for Nate’s neck, biting and drinking deep until Nate could pull him loose with a hand tangled in Eliot’s hair.

Nate punched him, Eliot punched back. Nate wriggled loose of his knees and pulled back, standing, his cock hard. Eliot’s nostrils flared and he cracked his neck as he squatted, his own cock visibly hard under his sweats. 

“I know what you’re trying to do.” Eliot said around the fangs, his voice sounding strange and deep.

“I’m not trying anything.” Nate responded. “I’m going to fuck this stupid idea out of your head.”

Eliot snarled at him. “I don’t think so.”

“Watch me.” Nate charged him and Eliot sprang up. They grappled until his claws tore into Nate’s arms, then separated, though Nate had managed to get Eliot’s sweats down off his hips.

The smell of blood and sweat and arousal rose around them as they fought and fell to the floor, rolling and fighting for dominance. Eliot used claws in Nate’s side to hold him still and before Nate could wriggle loose, Eliot was on top of him, his cock shoved into Nate while he growled.

It was fast and over with a hot flush of come and Eliot collapsing against him, panting. Eliot rolled to the floor, the cat withdrawing, leaving him almost vulnerable looking as he closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands.

Nate rolled onto his side, pressing a hand against the bloody wound in his side. When Eliot didn't move, Nate leaned in to lick at the blood smeared over his chest, up to his nipple. He lapped at the bite marks, his free hand sliding along Eliot's side, over his hip and under his leg. His fingers sought out Eliot's hole, all the while he licked and sucked at the nipple. When he pressed in, Eliot groaned, his hands falling away from his face.

The anger had faded, though some of the pain remained. Nate pressed Eliot open, moving now to kneel between his legs, pressing Eliot's left leg up toward his chest, making room for Nate. He didn't do a lot of prep, Eliot needed to feel it and Nate meant to make it so he did. 

Nate pressed his cock to Eliot's ass, pushing in. Eliot tightened around him, but Nate kept pushing. One long, full stroke so that he was fully inside him, leaning into him. Eliot's hands scrambled against the hardwood floor as his body tightened again, then relaxed. He nodded and Nate pulled out, just as slowly as he had pushed in. 

Eliot's eyes closed and his head tipped back, his neck exposed. Nate took the invitation, biting and letting the blood trickle out, smearing it into Eliot's skin. Eliot caught his hand and brought it to his mouth, licking at the blood. His eyes flashed and he pressed Nate's wrist to his mouth.

When he bit, Nate couldn't hold his orgasm back any longer, coming hard as Eliot drank.

They were both smeared with blood as Nate lay down beside him, but Eliot seemed to have calmed, more than Nate had expected even. His eyes were closed, and aside from the blood smeared across his face, he looked peaceful.

Nate brushed a hand across his face and Eliot's eyes fluttered open, but didn't stay open, as exhaustion pulled him toward sleep. All things considered, Nate couldn't blame him.

 

The house was quiet.

Hardison listened for a long minute before he took the bags to the kitchen. He unloaded the blood first, two bags he’d gotten from a connection at the blood bank, plus a large container of pigs blood from the butcher. He set those on the counter, then pulled out the steaks, shoving those in the fridge for later.

He sighed and took off his jacket, hanging it on the back of the chair before rolling up his sleeves and going back to the counter. 

He was full, uncomfortably so, actually, having eaten twice since he left, loading up on both protein and carbs, anticipating that the blood in the cartons wasn’t going to be enough.

Not with the way Eliot looked before he left.

He pulled two large mugs from the cupboard and the kitchen scissors from the drawer. He snipped the first bag of blood and dumped it into a mug, then did the same with the other. He opened the pigs blood and poured some into each mug, stirring it with the blade of the scissors.

Hardison dumped the scissors in the sink and grabbed the two mugs, heading down the hall toward the gym. The door opened as he approached, revealing a bruised and bloody Nate.

Eliot was asleep on the floor as Hardison entered the room, handing the first mug of blood to Nate, who sniffed it and nodded appreciatively. “You’re getting rather good at this.”

“I do not want to think about that.” Hardison said, letting his eyes wander over the bruises. Any cuts or wounds there might have been had closed, so the blood was whatever had gotten smeared while they fought through whatever it was they were fighting through. “You look like shit.”

Nate smirked, then sipped at the blood. “Yeah, but I’m betting he’s feeling better.”

Hardison turned to look. If Nate was bruised and bloody, Eliot was worse. The bruises on his face were bad, but nothing compared to the ones on his chest and even on his thigh. “You didn’t do that…”

Nate shook his head. “No, I suspect those are from a number of things, and they’ll heal.” He cocked his head as if listening. “Where’s Ryna?”

“Oh, I left her with Sophie. She’ll be home in about an hour. I wanted to make sure the two of you hadn’t killed each other.”

Eliot was starting to stir.

“I’m going to go shower. Thanks for this.” Nate left Hardison there, disappearing out the door.

Hardison crossed to the bench beside where Eliot lay, sitting a little nervously. Eliot opened an eye, squinting. “Hardison?”

“Brought you something, man.” He held out the mug as Eliot sat up, wincing a little.

Eliot took it, sniffing and making a face. “I know,” he muttered even though Hardison said nothing. He drank the whole thing in one long drink, wiping his mouth with his free hand when he was done.

“You okay?” Hardison asked. He couldn’t stop his knee from bouncing as he fought the urge to run. He got like that any time he was faced with what Eliot had become. He couldn’t help the way it terrified him sometimes. 

But only sometimes…because there was no denying that other times it was…hot. 

Eliot shifted, reaching with one hand to disentangle his feet from the pants still hanging off them. There was a long bruise down one calf and Hardison instinctively leaned in for a better look. 

Eliot pushed him back and straightened the pants out, setting the mug down and standing to pull the pants up. "I'm fine, Hardison, stop hovering."

"Is that what I'm doing?" Hardison asked, standing himself now.

"I don't know. What are you doing?" Eliot asked, squinting at him.

Hardison inhaled slowly and licked his lips. He was in this now. Stuck between a vampire and whatever the hell they were going to call Eliot. As much as the thought terrified him, he knew he had to make it work, and if Nate could be the one Eliot beat the shit out of, Hardison could be the one to make it better when it was over. He lifted a hand, brushing a finger along the bruise that dusted Eliot's jaw.

"Just trying to…"

Eliot sort of nodded, like he got it. His hand grabbed the back of Hardison's neck and tugged. His kiss was hot, but didn't have the desperation he remembered from times before. As he pulled away, Hardison tilted his head, offering his neck. "No, I'm okay." Eliot whispered.

Hardison held on to him though. "I'm here if you need me, man."

Eliot pulled back, a small smile on his face. "Thanks."

 

“It ain’t like I’m afraid.” Hardison said, though Nate wasn’t sure who he was talking to. They were between jobs, letting Eliot adjust so there wasn’t anything in particular to be afraid of…except for maybe Eliot. Hardison was at his laptop at the kitchen table. “Okay, maybe I am afraid…but it isn’t irrational. It’s not like I’ve got alektorophobia or zoophobia or something crazy like chrometophobia…did you know that people could be afraid of money?”

Nate felt his eyes and looked up from the potatoes he was peeling for dinner. “What?”

“I mean, compared to that, it’s perfectly rational to be afraid that the creature fucking you and drinking your blood might actually kill you, right?”

Nate put the potatoes into the pot of water and turned to Hardison. “You know neither one of us would never kill you.”

“Do I?” The pitch of his voice went up and he waved his hands around. “No. No. I do. I trust you. Except really…when I think about it, the last guy you fucked and sucked you nearly killed and in saving him you turned him into a…a…thing we don’t even have a name for…so…really…”

“What’s he rambling about?” Eliot asked as he came into the kitchen, freshly showered and dressed. He crossed to Nate, stealing a kiss before heading to the fridge for a bottle of water.

“How he’s not afraid…or is afraid…and is worried about whether or not he should be or something.” Nate offered, smirking as Hardison shook his head in frustration.

“Have you seen his claws?” Hardison squeaked.

Eliot downed half the water. Nate could tell he was calmer, his heart rate steady for the first time in days, well, if he was honest, since the run in with the cat that changed him. “Feeling better?”

“Yeah, I think so.”

Compared to Eliot, Hardison’s heart was racing. He was starting to sweat too. Nate frowned. They had kept him really close the last few days. He drew Eliot close, his voice pitched so that only Eliot would hear him. “You good enough that we can cut him loose for a while? He’s pretty worked up.”

Eliot glanced at Hardison, at the bounce of his knee and the way he was chewing on his fingernails. “Yeah, I’m good.”

Nate nodded. “Hardison, go home.”

Hardison stopped, looking from Nate to Eliot and back again. “Come again?”

“Go home. Get some rest. Do something for yourself.”

“But…what if y’all…”

Nate grinned and leaned in over Hardison, listening to his heart race even faster. “I’m sure we can entertain ourselves for a few hours, Hardison…unless you’re saying you need a little—“

Hardison held up both hands and pushed his chair back. “No. No, I’m fine. I can take a hint.” He closed up the laptop and stood.

Nate waited until he was gone, and they’d heard the front door close before he went back to working on food that was now just for Ryna. “There’s more blood.” Nate said as Eliot opened the refrigerator again. 

Eliot wrinkled his nose and closed the door, pacing the kitchen.

 

“I’m just…restless. I don’t like sitting.”

“You’re not, you’re pacing.”

“Funny. I just feel like…” He sighed and stopped, crossing his arms. “Like we’ve been shoved into this.”

Nate considered that. “You mean that I’ve shoved us into this.”

Eliot scowled at him. “That’s not what I said.”

“But it isn’t wrong.” Nate conceded. He went to the refrigerator and pulled out the left over gravy, dumping it into the small saucepan to warm up for the potatoes. “I was the only one of the three of us that chose this.”

“I chose to be with you.” Eliot said. 

“No, not really. You didn’t know what you were getting into. You only knew that I needed something you could give me. You had no idea what it would mean.”

“Come on, there’s no way you can blame yourself for….all of this?”

“No?” Nate turned to look at him. “I’m the one who nearly killed you. I’m the one who fed you so much of my blood trying to save you that I nearly turned you…and that led to me needing to feed on the only person nearby. I bullied Hardison into it because I didn’t want to leave you.”

“You’re not a bully.” Eliot argued, but even he knew he had nothing to base it on.

“You weren’t there. Not really.” Nate stirred the gravy, remembering the panic as he realized what he’d done, he’d called Hardison and ordered him to pick up supplies, knowing it wasn’t going to be enough. “Genevieve warned me.” Nate murmured.

“She what?”

Nate sighed. He’d never really worried about it, being a loner at heart since he’d lost Sam, lost his wife. “Vampires, by their nature, are power hungry creatures. Those that don’t kill their donors tend to collect them. Or turn them and collect new ones.” Until Eliot, Nate hadn’t worried about it. 

After Eliot, he’d really only given it passing thought, after all, Eliot was more than he thought he could ever need…until the drug, and his complete loss of control. “We keep pretending we can be…human again, Eliot. But we’re not.”

“No, we’re not.” Eliot agreed. Nate could feel him approach, even before his hands found their way to Nate’s back. “We’re monsters.” His lips belied his words, soft against the cotton of Nate’s shirt, kiss up his spine. 

“And I didn’t give Hardison a choice…I took what I needed from him, and once I had…”

“He was stuck with the same situation I had after you bit me.” Eliot finished. “But you’re forgetting something, Nate. Hardison knew the risks. Hardison knows how to kill you. If he really didn’t want it, I think he would have found a way out of it. Hell, if he’s as terrified as all that, he knows how to get himself out of the country, disappear.”

"We **are** talking about Hardison here, right?"

"Yeah, we're talking about Hardison. He's as geeky as they come, no lie, but I promise you, he's done the research. He probably knows more about vampires than you do by now."

Nate had to concede that. "Come to think of it, his fear ratcheted up when you came into the room."

Eliot actually snorted and backed off. "No shit. Ain't no research he can do where I'm concerned, is there? Hell, we still don't know what all I can and can't do."

"You're the one he's attracted to though." Nate said, stirring his cooking food. "It's always been you."

"I think maybe I hit your head a little too hard back there." Eliot countered. "The sex is all about the biting. If you and I weren't forcing the issue, he wouldn't want anything to do with the fucking parts."

Nate laughed. "Sophie said you didn't see it."

"Sophie?" Eliot put his hands on his hips. "Sophie? You're talking to Sophie about our sex life?"

"No, just about how oblivious you are to Hardison's admiration of you. I mean, he tries to hide it. I just never realized how clueless you really were."

"It's the cat and the vampire. It ain't me."

"No? Maybe you should ask him about that. You two should spend some time together, time that isn't just about feeding and sex."

"Like what?" Eliot asked.

"I don't know go out."

"Like on a date?"

"Sure, I mean, why not. Go someplace nice. Have a few beers. Calm him down. Show him you aren't going to kill him."

Nate pulled him in to kiss him. "It'll be good for both of you."


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot takes Nate's advice and takes Hardison out to dinner...but isn't exactly sure what he's supposed to be doing.

“You want to explain this to me?” Hardison asked as Eliot parked the car. He’d been hyped up since Eliot called him and told him to get dressed up.

“Explain what?” Eliot asked, opening the door of his truck.

“What do you mean, what?” Hardison’s head bobbed as he said it, frowning at the sign over the door of the joint. “This. What are we doing?”

Eliot frowned and gestured at the door with his thumb. “Food. I’m hungry. Figured you’d be hungry after spending all day…doing whatever it was you were doing at the office.”

Hardison started to nod slowly, but switched to shaking his head. “Here?”

“Yeah, here, they serve a good steak. You like steak, right?” Eliot headed for the door, expecting Hardison to follow.

“Yeah, I like steak.” Hardison said, his tone still wary.

Eliot led him inside, grinning at the hostess who stood at a podium in front of plush velvet curtains. “Miss Marla, you’re looking wonderful.”

“Mr. Havers, it’s been a while. Give me a moment and we’ll prepare your usual table.”

“Havers?” Hardison breathed when she had disappeared behind the curtains.

Eliot nodded. “Jacob Havers. It’s an old alias. One that has a gold card and a reputation for tipping well.”

Marla returned, holding the curtain for them. Eliot led the way to a booth with a view of the stage. He grinned at Marla as she handed them menus and he slid into the booth. “Bunny will be your personal server this evening.”

“Thank you Marla.” Eliot winked at her and she blushed as she walked away.

Eliot let his eyes wander the menu, though he already knew what he was getting. A hand slid up his thigh, and judging from the high pitched noise Hardison made, Bunny had introduced herself to him the same way. 

“Good evening, gentlemen. I’m Bunny. How may I service you this evening?”

Hardison kicked him under the table and scooted further into the booth to escape Bunny’s hand. Eliot chuckled. “Hey darling, bring me a cold beer and that porterhouse, still bloody and twitching.” 

“You got it, baby. What about you, lover?”

Hardison squeaked out something that sounded like it might be an order and Eliot grabbed the menu away from him. “He’ll have the same, but a little less bloody on the meat.”

When she had walked away, Eliot back handed Hardison’s shoulder. “Smooth, Hardison. What is wrong with you?”

Hardison’s eyes were big. “Maybe you forgot Nate…the vampire…the possessive vampire…who will smell this place on us?”

“You need to relax.” Eliot said, sitting back as the beers were delivered and music started playing. “This was his idea.”

“His…Nate told you to…” Three girls came out on stage, dancing. Hardison’s voice trailed off as they started removing articles of clothing. “Strippers?”

Eliot smirked at the squeak in his voice. He dropped one hand under the table, letting it fall on Hardison’s thigh. He stiffened up, but didn’t say anything as the girls danced and stripped.

“Nate…told you…strippers?” Hardison stammered out eventually, though he couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away.

Eliot sipped at his beer. “He said we should spend some time together. That I should take you someplace nice.”

“This is nice?” The music ended, and the girls sashayed off the stage to applause.

“I like it.”

Hardison turned to him, frowning again. “But…you…and Nate…and me…”

Eliot chuckled. “Just because I’m with Nate don’t mean I’m gay, Hardison. I still like women.”

“So, it’s just a vampire thing?” Hardison asked. 

Bunny came back with their steaks and Eliot took a minute to thank her and cut into his before answering with a bit of a shrug. “Never really thought about it much. I like sex. Sex with Nate is good…and there’s the possessive streak, so I’ve been pretty focused since we got together.”

“And now?” 

Hardison was staring at him, he could feel it. He ate a few bites of his steak and swallowed a few big gulps of his beer. He was starting to wonder if this was the wrong way to have tried to do this. Whatever it was he was trying to do.

“And now, we have you.” Eliot said, trying to make it casual. 

Hardison was quiet then, focused on eating. Music started again and more dancers appeared and Eliot tried to relax. This was supposed to be time for them to bond, for Eliot to calm Hardison’s fear of what he’d become.

Eliot cleaned his plate and sent Bunny scampering after refills on the beers, sitting back in the booth. Hardison was still fidgety, even a little jumpy. Eliot could smell the fear, but there was arousal too. He leaned back, an arm across the back of the booth, behind Hardison without touching him.

Hardison’s eyes skirted along the dancers on stage, then slipped back to Eliot. “You good?” Eliot asked as the stage emptied again, though he didn’t look at Hardison.

“Yeah, man. Good.”

Eliot nodded. “Finish your beer. I’ll take you home.”

 

Eliot handed off the check and his card to Bunny, anxious himself now to get moving. He’d thought this idea was silly…and considering the conversation thus far he was uncomfortable.

He’d take Hardison home, and that would be the end of that. He tried. Nate couldn’t ask more than that of him. 

Hardison was quiet as he signed for the bill and they both headed to the front of the place. Outside Eliot felt the pull of a nearly full moon and turned his face skyward for a minute, breathing deep. He felt Hardison’s hesitant step away, but didn’t open his eyes.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” Eliot said softly,

“I know.” Hardison said, though his voice squeaked. He cleared his throat and shuffled his feet.

“Come here.” Eliot tried to keep his voice soft, unthreatening. He held out a hand and waited. He could taste Hardison’s hesitation, but eventually felt his warm hand. Eliot tugged him closer. “Stand still and close your eyes.” He pulled Hardison’s hand up, put it over his heart. Eliot’s control over what he had become was clumsy at best, and the smell of Hardison’s arousal and fear was intoxicating, but he swallowed down the reaction and concentrated on the moment, on the strong, steady beat of his heart. “Feel that?”

He sensed, more than saw, Hardison nod and moved their hands to Hardison’s chest. His heartbeat was light and rapid. “I like that sound.” Eliot said, opening his eyes. “I like that feeling. Got it?”

Hardison nodded slowly. Eliot pulled his hand free and headed for the truck. Hardison followed. They were half way back to Hardison’s place before Hardison spoke. “So…this was…a date?”

“What? No. Just. Food.”

“With strippers.” Hardison said. “Not a date.”

“Damn it, Hardison. Why does it have to be complicated?”

“You’re asking _me_ that question?” Hardison looked at him. “Me?”

“Yeah, you. You’re the one who has to make it all…” Eliot waved his hands as words failed him. “Why can’t it just be what it is?”

“What is it Eliot? What is it? What?”

Eliot pulled off the road and put the truck in park. “It just is.”

“Oh, yeah, that clears it right up.” Hardison crossed his arms and stared out the window of the truck.

“It’s just three guys who…fuck. Okay? Isn’t that enough?”

“No.” Hardison said it so quietly Eliot wasn’t really sure he actually vocalized it, but the cat picked it up just the same.

“No?” Eliot asked, his stomach twisting. He knew this was a bad plan. He reached out a hand, but Hardison pulled away, opening the door and climbing out. “Hey.” Eliot cursed and got out to follow him. “Hey.”

He grabbed Hardison’s shoulder and turned him. His whole body was radiating heat and it was distracting. 

“Just leave me alone. I can walk from here.”

“Hardison, come on.” Eliot couldn’t get him to look him in the eye. 

“No. I understand now, okay, and if you don’t mind I’ll just take my humiliation and go home.”

“Humiliation? I don’t—“

Hardison’s head popped up. “No, you don’t. And you never will. I get it now. I’m a body to fuck and blood to suck. Fine. Unless you need one of those right now, I’m just going to go home.”

He pulled away and stalked down the sidewalk, leaving Eliot standing by the truck trying to figure out exactly how something as simple as dinner had turned so spectacularly wrong.

 

"Do you want to play a game?"

Hardison frowned as the words filtered into his head. He closed the apartment door and dropped his bag, turning to his computer set up, where the voice was pouring from his speakers.

He sat down and brought up his main display, shaking his head. "That ain't right."

In fact, something was very wrong. "Oh no you didn't." His fingers flew at the keys, but he was getting hacked faster than he could block it. "Who the hell…"

Sparks flew from one of his monitors and Hardison jumped back as a familiar face filled his screens. "Chaos…"

A bobble headed image shook a finger at him. "Now, now, don't get angry. We're going to have some fun."

"Fun? I'll show you fun." Hardison reached under his desk for his wireless keyboard and started to try to hack his way back in.

"I wouldn't do that. You don't know the rules."

Hardison looked up at the screen, then around the room. Chaos had to be watching him, and not just through the network.

"You won't find them in time to stop this, so don't try. The game of the hour is truth or dare. You pick, truth…you admit I'm better than you and give me what I want. Dare, you try to hack your way into your system."

"Better than me? On what planet?" Hardison muttered, his fingers flying. He was just about through one of the back doors into the system when a gate came crashing down and shut him out.

"Nice try, thanks for playing."

The monitor to his left lit up, filled with an image of Eliot in his truck, the camera obviously mounted somewhere on the dashboard. The middle screen lit up, Ryna and Nate at what looked like an ice cream shop.

Hardison froze. "What? What are you doing?"

"Now, which one will it be? Hmmmm…."

On his left, Hardison could see Eliot cursing, hitting the steering wheel. He leaned toward the camera, turning the key, then smashing the dashboard. "Eliot…" He moved away from the camera, then suddenly the camera shook and went out.

"What did you do?" Hardison scowled at the bobble headed Chaos on his screen.

"Don't worry, he isn't dead. Yet. Bet he isn't happy though. Shall we try this again?"

Hardison's hands itched at the keyboard while his mind raced over what to try next.

"Truth or Dare, Hardison? What will it be?"

Hardison fumbled in a pocket for his phone, blindly dialing Nate’s number without pulling it from his pocket and no clue if the call went through. “Chaos, I don’t know what you think—“

“I think you should pay attention and play the game, Hardison. Truth or Dare? Tell me what I want to hear or risk the life of one of your friends?”

Hardison’s eyes watched as Nate and Ryna sat at one of the little tables at the shop, Ryna clearly talking more than eating. “You wouldn’t hurt a little girl.”

“No? You willing to bet her life on that?”

Hardison bit his lip. “What is it you want?”

“Admit I’m better. In person. Address incoming. You have twenty minutes.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nate and Ryna find themselves in trouble. Eliot finds himself stranded. Hardison goes to the address Chaos gave him, not sure yet how he's going to save Nate & Ryna, but knowing he has to try.

“Hardison?” Nate frowned at his phone. He could hear a lot of static and Hardison’s voice was faint. He listened closer, concentrating on picking words out of the sounds. There was a second voice, but it had a sort of electronic quality to it.

He was about to hang up when the static was suddenly gone. “Nate?”

“Hardison, what’s going on?”

“You’re in trouble. Get out of there.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t have time to explain. You and Ryna need to get out of the ice cream shop, you’re being watched. It’s Chaos. Check on Eliot.”

The phone went dead and Nate instinctively looked around them. He didn’t sense any immediate danger, but admittedly he hadn’t expected any in an environment like this.

Ryna looked at him expectantly, chocolate ice cream on her face and hands. “What’s wrong?”

Nate shook his head. “Nothing. I just think it’s time to head home.”

“We just got here.” Ryna whined.

“It isn’t safe.” He grabbed napkins, chuckling at a child’s ability to get ice cream all over in seconds. He wiped at her hands as they headed for the door, pushing it open with his hip.

He smelled them first, all adrenaline and sweat, and he dropped the napkins to defend them, grabbing Ryna with one hand and spinning away, but there were five of them and he was hindered by the squirming child.

He felt the needle before he realized what they had planned. Ryna was screaming as they pulled her away from Nate’s numbing fingers and the concrete of the sidewalk came up to meet him awfully fast.

 

His next conscious thought came sluggishly, through the haze of the drug and the cold. Real cold. He opened his eyes, scanning the dark of the room. No, freezer. He was in a freezer. If his body processed drugs more slowly, he might have just gone from sedated to hibernating without ever waking.

He wasn’t alone.

Nate sat up slowly, leaning toward the feeling of warmth, the small body huddled in the corner. “Ryna?”

She moved, her head tilting so she could look at him. “C-c-cold.”

He nodded, already pulling his jacket off and crawling across the floor to her to drape it around her little frame. “It’s okay. I’m going to take care of you.” The cold wouldn’t kill him, though he would go into a deep hibernation eventually, akin to what would happen if he was deprived of blood for any length of time…and it would take a long time to recover. Ryna, however, was a different story. 

Nate stood and crossed to the door. Of course, there was no handle and an initial shove at it proved useless. “Did you see where they took us?” Nate asked as he knelt next to Ryna.

She was barely shivering, her skin ashen, her eyes glazed over. He shook her, pulled her up onto her feet. “Ryna, honey, I need you to stay awake. Think.”

She shook her head. “T-told me to shut up.”

Nate rubbed his hands over her arms. “Okay, good. How many of them?”

“F-five…bef-fore the t-truck.” 

“Okay.” They weren’t still at the ice cream shop then, which made sense, since this freezer had no shelves, no food, just him and Ryna. “Did you see where we are?”

“Dark, big building.”

Probably a warehouse or something similar. "I know you're cold, Ryna, but I need you to move around, okay, keep talking to me."

"I want Eliot."

Even though she was standing he could see she was drifting off. He shook her. "Stay awake. It's important." He went back to rubbing her arms, but without any body heat of his own it wasn't doing a whole lot of good. He had to get her out of there. Soon. Or she would die.

 

Eliot cursed as he climbed out of the truck. After Hardison had stormed off, he'd headed out of town to let the animal out to run. He was irritated with how terrible his plan had played out, angry at himself for letting Hardison walk away.

When the truck sputtered and died, it only intensified his frustration.

He pulled the hood up and leaned in, eyes scanning the engine in the dark. Even with his heightened senses, it was too dark to really see anything. 

"Son of a bitch."

He dropped the hood and the entire truck rocked. He frowned and made his way back to the cab, which was now filled with smoke, wrenching the door open to see.

The steering wheel was bent, the column melted. Even if he could get the damn thing started, it wouldn't be drivable.

"Fuck."

He was stranded. 

In the middle of nowhere.

Nate was never going to let him live this down. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Nate's number, frowning when it dumped directly to voicemail. "Nate, my truck just…self destructed. I'm on route two. I'm going to start walking. Call me."

He growled under his breath. Nate was supposed to be with Ryna, so maybe he didn't hear his phone. Except Nate had hearing that was exceptional. Nate heard phones ringing three blocks away.

Eliot grabbed the bag he'd started carrying with a change of clothes and a bottle of water and threw it over his shoulder. It was going to be a long walk if someone didn't come along to pick him up.

He could call someone else. He stared at his phone as he walked. Parker was out of town, he wasn't entirely sure where or why. None of them had asked. Sophie was, well, Sophie…and while Nate had made it clear that there wasn't anything between them, Eliot still had a hard time turning to her at times.

Still growling as he stalked down the lonely stretch of back road, he dialed her number. He was dumped to voicemail, just like when he dialed Nate’s number.

“Great.”

Something was wrong, he could feel it. One of them should answer. He huffed and dialed Hardison, not expecting an answer there either.

“Where are you?” Hardison’s voice was tense, tight, with a note of fear in it.

“Walking.” Eliot growled. “Come get me.”

“Can’t. Listen, we got trouble. 2285 West Industrial.”

“Hardison, I’m not even in the city.”

“Get here. They got Nate and Ryna.”

“Who?” The line went dead and Eliot stopped, staring at the phone. He was never going to get back to them in time if he had to walk the whole way.

He pulled off his boots and shoved them in the bag, letting the shift bubble up and through him. The cat could move faster, hunt better. The night air felt different as he took his animal form, less restrictive and Eliot grabbed the bag in his teeth, taking off across the rough and wild terrain.

 

Hardison was not surprised to find his phone dead before he’d even reached the address Chaos had given him. At least he’d gotten the address to Eliot before the phone had been disabled by whatever jamming device Chaos was using.

He didn’t have to knock, the door opened as he got to it. He was greeted by a flat panel display in front of him and a corridor to his right and left. Behind him the door slammed closed.

The panel came to life, the same damn bobblehead filling the center of the screen. “Truth or Dare, Right or Left, choose one and someone dies. Choose the other and someone still dies. What’s it going to be?”

“Enough games, man. I’m here.”

The bobblehead was replaced by a waging finger, then two windows showing two doors. “Door number one or door number two?”

“Tell me what it is you want.”

“I want you to pick one.”

It was a trap, he knew that. No matter which he picked, Chaos was going to hurt someone. “The little girl or Nate Ford, Hardison? One or Two? Truth or Dare?”

“Fine. Ryna. One.”

The window on the left showed a door opening, inside that door he could just make out two figures, one tall and one short. Two men clouded the image, pulling the shorter of the two out.

“The girl is safe for the moment. Take the corridor to your left.”

He didn’t like this, but what choice did he have? Until Eliot got there to back him up, he had to play the game, keep Chaos talking so he could figure out the plan.

Hardison made his way down the dark corridor, half expecting goons to leap out at him. The game playing was wearing on him, but that was the point of it, he supposed. 

He came to a dead end and rolled his eyes. “Really?”

Unsurprisingly, a heavy door rolled closed behind him, trapping him in a square that was little more than four feet across.

“And this is where you drop the tech I know you’re carrying.” Chaos’ voice filled the space. “Lose the phone, the laptop, the tablet, the back up phone in the shoe and your ear piece. It’s all worthless anyway. The only connection to anything outside this building is in my command center. Everything else for a full city block is disabled.”

“Paranoid much?” Hardison murmured as he dropped his bag. 

“No, I’m careful. I’ve spent the last year planning this. I’m not going to have you screw it up with your baling wire tech.”

“A year, huh? And you want me to admit you’re better than me? I’ve hacked security systems no one else has dreamed of cracking with a laptop and a smart phone.” He knew better than to poke the hornet’s nest, especially when Chaos still held all the cards, but he couldn’t resist the dig.

“Child’s play. You done?”

“Yeah, I’m done.” Hardison said as he dropped the back up phone he’d hidden in his sock.

“Good. Step through the door, hands on your head.”

A panel of the wall to his left opened and Hardison stepped through into a command center like something he would expect a government agency to own. In the center of it was Chaos. “Sweet, isn’t it?”

Hardison let his eyes sweep the monitors and consoles, keyboards and servers. “You could launch a space shuttle from this room.”

Chaos laughed. “Or disable one.” He stood, shrugging. “Well, not a space shuttle. Just a really big plane.” He waved toward the second chair. “And not so much disable as…ground. For a specific window of time.”

 

Ryna paced the small closet they'd stuffed her in, trying to warm up, trying not to worry about Nate. She knew enough about him that she wasn’t worried about him dying exactly, but he wasn’t looking good when she’d been dragged out of there and these men who had grabbed them had been rough.

She hugged herself and tried to remember what she was supposed to do if something like this happened. 

She needed to know the space she was in. She went to the door and stood with her back to it. There was no knob or handle on this side. She looked up at the walls, bare up to the single light on the wall to her right.

Okay, so there was nothing going to help her get out. She walked the length of the room, from the door to the back wall, then the width, from left to right. She did it again backwards, counting both ways to make sure she was right.

The door opened suddenly and Ryna backpedaled into the far corner, ready to fight. 

“Bring the girl.”

Two big men came at her and dragged her from the closet, lifting her once they were clear and carrying her to a chair set in front of a big screen. She bounced up as soon as they let go of her.

One of them caught her and shoved her back into the chair. “Stay.”

“Control her.” A voice said from the shadows around them as Ryna fought to get out of the chair.

One of the men hit her, hard across the face. It felt like her cheek exploded as she fell back into the chair, tears welling in her eyes. “I said stay.”

A new man shoved the man who had hit her and leaned in, a soft look on his face. “She’s not a dog. You okay, kid?”

Ryna pulled back from him, nodding slowly. “Do me a favor, and sit still. Otherwise this freak is going to hurt you.”

“My father is going to kick your ass.” Ryna said, pulling her hand away from her cheek.

The man leaned in closer, his beard tickling her cheek. “I actually almost hope he does,” he whispered in her ear before he stood back. “Now, are you going to sit still, or does Jumbo here need to tie you up?”

She sat back in the chair, scowling up at him as she crossed her arms. “Good. Now, we’re going to play you a movie, help pass the time before your father comes to get you, okay?”

The man went to a computer and pressed some buttons, then smiled at her, snapping his fingers at the two big men. She watched the screen start, at least a little curious what they thought would entertain her and keep her from trying to get away.

Ryna was aware of the men still in the room, could even hear them talking…and as soon as Spongebob filled the screen, she gave up watching to listen.

“This wasn’t a part of the deal.”

“You are getting paid to keep the hacker occupied and the other one on ice, not worry about the kid.”

“You want me to help you jack up Spencer, I’m okay with that. Leave the kid out of it.”

“I thought you were a badass, Chaos. Going soft over a kid?”

“No, I just don’t think –“

“Obviously. By the time Eliot shows up here, I’ll have his daughter half believing he isn’t even real.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hardison discovers that all is not as it appears in the land of Chaos.

Hardison kept one eye on the door, the other on the system in front of him. Chaos had the entire facility wired for sound and picture, and if he could just find the back door in…he spotted a weakness and went after it, praying he could get in before Chaos came back.

Something was hinky up in this business, and it went well beyond Chaos level hinky. This had the stink on it of something else, someone else.

At least Chaos had left him refreshments, if you could call flat orange soda and beef jerky refreshments. Hardison took a swig from the bottle and turned his attention to finding a way out of this.

He found access to the surveillance, slipping on earbuds he found on the console so he could listen in without the muscle on the door hearing. He scanned screens, stopping when he found Nate. He wasn't moving, stuck in the freezer where he'd been when Hardison got there.

He noted the location of the freezer and started looking for remote access to the door. It took longer than he would have liked, but after a minute of searching he found the program that controlled the locking mechanisms of all the secure rooms.

He got the door to open, just enough that it wasn't locked. Nate didn't move. 

Hardison huffed and worked at isolating the audio subprogram. He glanced over his shoulder before pulling a microphone closer. "Nate. Wake up." He was fairly certain his voice was only broadcasting in that little room that had been converted to a freezer. "Nate, wake your ass up. I've opened the door. You need to find Ryna and get out."

Hardison watched as Nate's eyes moved first, then his head lifted, looking up into the camera. "Come on now, don't make me do all the work."

Nate was slow to react, and Hardison nodded to himself. "Okay, I get it. Too cold. Let me see what I can do."

He poked the security system until he found the controls for the temperature in the room. "This is the sloppiest mess I have ever seen. Okay, Nate, it should start to warm up in there. I'm gonna look for Ryna." 

He found Chaos first, talking to someone in shadows in a hallway. Hardison squinted at the picture, trying to see the other person. “No, I assure you, Hardison got the address to Spencer. He’s on his way.” Chaos said.

“He better be.” 

“You going to tell me what this is about?” Chaos asked, his eyes skipping up to the camera as if he knew Hardison was watching. 

There was a dark chuckle. “Payback. Spencer took from me. I plan to take from him. Let me know when he arrives.”

“I did what you wanted. Give it to me.” Chaos held his hand out.

“When I have what I came for. Not before.”

Chaos turned to face the camera as Shadow Man moved away. Hardison didn’t like the look on his face. 

Fear.

Chaos was afraid.

“This just keeps getting better.” Chaos shook his head and moved out of camera range. 

Hardison went back to scanning various camera feeds, eventually coming back to the freezer, only to find Nate was gone. That was something at least. 

The door behind him opened and Hardison jumped, flipping the screens in front of him back to the windows he was supposed to be working on. Chaos was alone, his skin pale and oddly sweaty under the facial hair. “Save it. Tell me you aren’t completely worthless and hacked the security?”

Hardison frowned at him. “I—ah—“

“Tell me you didn’t drink my soda.”

“Dude, I was thirsty. You drag me out of my apartment and across town and lock me in a room, a man is going to get—“

Chaos threw the soda across the room. “You complete moron.” He whirled on Hardison and leaned in close. “He laced it with something. Now you’re poisoned too. Fuck.” Chaos rubbed a hand over his face and shook his head. “It’s starting to get bad, can’t focus. He’s going to kill all of us just to get Spencer.”

“Poison?” Hardison asked, biting down on his panic. Nate was loose and Eliot was on his way. He’d be okay, they would save him.

“Haven’t figured out what it is. He has a counter agent, he’s using it as leverage.”

“So the hack?”

Chaos shook his head. “Just an excuse to get you here. I needed you here and not in some one of his trap rooms.”

“You? Need me?” Hardison sat back and crossed his arms. “Let me record that.”

“Funny. It’s the poison. It fucks with your head. I programmed this place before it started getting bad, now I can’t…” He waved his hand at the consoles. “I could care less about you and your little crew, but I’m not ready to die.”

“And you left the soda there for me to drink?” Hardison asked.

“I…” Chaos shook his head again. “I didn’t think about it. Look, we don’t have much time. Did you get Ford out of the freezer?”

“Yeah, he’s out. Looking for Ryna.”

Chaos shook his head. “Forget the girl. He won’t hurt her. He’s…I don’t know…brainwashing her or something.”

“He who?” Hardison crossed his arms as Chaos started to pace.

“Victor Avonski.” Chaos wiped his face on his sleeve, his pacing getting more agitated. 

Hardison could see why. He didn’t know much about Eliot’s past. The real past, back before everything. Eliot kept it pretty hidden. What he did know was that Avonski was a bad dude. Bad as they came. Former KGB with ties to the Russian mob, not above using children as bombs against enemies, he was a nasty guy to come up against.

“Spencer did something…years ago. I don’t know what. Avonski plans on making him pay by taking away everything Spencer has…which I presume means you losers…before he takes Spencer apart piece by piece.”

“Okay, one thing at a time. We need to find Nate and get him looking for the antidote.” Hardison said, turning back to the computer system. He imagined he could feel the poison working, but he knew it was too soon. It was just his head working against him.

Hardison went back to screening through the cameras. “What is this place?”

Chaos finally stopped pacing and pulled up a chair beside him. “He built it like a maze. Dead ends and torture rooms…the freezer, there’s a…a sun room too, ultraviolet light and other things…” Chaos trailed off and Hardison stopped flipping through the cameras when he spotted Nate. 

“There. Where is there?” Hardison hit Chaos on the shoulder. “Where is he?”

“That’s…” Chaos squinted at the screen. “South end, near the sun...sun room.”

“How do I talk to him?” 

Chaos’ eyes were closed. Hardison shook him. “Come on.” There was no waking him though. “Damnit.” He hacked into the security like he had before, hoping he was isolating the right area before activating the audio. “Nate, stop.”

Nate froze, his eyes tracking for the camera. “The whole place is a walking booby trap. One of the doors near you is going to lead you to a room with artificial sun, extra hot, extra crispy.”

“Which one?”

“I don’t know. I’m trying to hack this backwards system, but the idiot that put it together was whacked out on drugs.”

“What’s going on?”

“Avonski is setting a trap for Eliot. We’re both the bait and the means of torture.”

He worked the keyboard. “I need you to find an antidote.”

“An antidote for what?” Nate asked, moving closer to the camera.

“He poisoned…well…me…by proxy. It’s a long story. But he has the antidote, presumably here.”

“Where’s Eliot?”

“On his way. I hope.”

 

Nate slipped into another corridor that looked just like the one he had come from. He was still moving slowly from the cold. What he really needed was blood. Hot and fresh preferably.

He looked up at the camera mounted near the ceiling, but Hardison was obviously occupied with something else. He was afraid, Nate could hear it in his voice, but he seemed to be holding it together. Whatever it was Avonski had used, it was slow acting, but presumably deadly, since Hardison said that Chaos was completely unconscious.

That left him to find the antidote, find Ryna, find Hardison and get them all the hell out of there. 

He stopped as he reached another intersection. Eliot was nearby, Nate could smell the blood he had shed getting in. He eased around the corner. Two men were on the floor, the smell of blood heavy in the air around them. One was still moving. Craving pulled him toward the man, his teeth descended. 

Eliot had been still in animal form when he’d attacked, the smell of the cat was all over the man. Nate squatted over him, leaning in to drink whatever Eliot had left behind. The blood was hot, pouring into him, restoring him, arousing him. 

There wasn’t much left, but it was a start. Nate turned, sniffing the air. Eliot had gone to the right. He headed that way too, following the scent of blood around another corridor, stopping at a large door. Eliot had gone through it, but Nate couldn’t sense him on the other side.

He cracked his neck and eased the door open. He was rushed immediately and he ducked the blow, coming up with one of his own to the man’s stomach. Nate rode him to the ground, biting deep into his neck and drinking. He was pulled off by another man, a man who had the scent of Hardison on him.

His hunger spiked, the desire for blood and more fueling him as he fought to free himself. The small tastes without satisfaction were teasing him, like appetizers served with no meal in sight, hopeless aphrodisiacs taunting him toward a full arousal.

He bit into the first flesh he could find, slamming the man into the wall and holding him there while Nate drained him from the wrist and he came in his pants.

Nate pulled back just as he died, letting him slide to the floor. His body was warm now, thrumming with desire now that he could smell come.

“Hardison.” Nate growled as he looked up at the camera.

“I’m working as fast as I can, but I got problems here too.”

“Where is Eliot?”

“I don’t know. He’s moving too fast. Did I mention problems? I’m trying to keep Avonski from coming in here and find Ryna in this ever loving maze of rooms and –“

“Hardison, I need direction here.”

“Gimme a minute, Nate.”

Nate stepped over the body, wiping his face as he looked around him. “Okay, Nate, you’re not far from where they’ve got Ryna. Go down the corridor on the left. Keep going past four doors. The fifth door on your right should lead you to the corridor where she is. But I gotta warn you, there are men everywhere."

"I got it. Find Eliot." He took a minute to adjust himself and dial back the hunger that raged inside him now that he had tasted blood. It wouldn't due to scare Ryna any further.

He followed Hardison's directions, taking the next guard he encountered quickly and wiping the blood from his face before carefully opening the door where Ryna was supposed to be. There was some cartoon playing on a big screen and two men keeping watch.

Nate slipped in, killing the first one quickly. The second one though, he was fast, and a bullet grazed Nate's arm before Nate got the gun turned around on him.

"Nate!" Ryna was on top of him before he'd fully recovered. "I knew you'd be okay."

"I'm fine honey, but we've got to get moving." He took her hand and led her out of the room, stopping as they encountered five men with guns. "Great. Hardison?"

There was no answer though. Nate was on his own. "Okay, Ryna, stay behind me."

She tugged on his shirt. "Uh, Nate…" 

He glanced at her, then up and saw three more men coming from the other direction. He could maybe take them, if he didn't have to worry about Ryna and they all weren't armed to the teeth. "Where the hell is Eliot?"

 

Eliot paused in a dark corridor and shifted back to his human form, rummaging in the shadows for where his bag had gone when he'd tossed it to handle the men he'd run into.

He pulled his clothes on, trying to wipe at least some of the blood off of him as he dressed. He'd shed enough blood that it had confused him. He'd lost the scent he'd been following, so he took the opportunity to stop and get his bearings.

He closed his eyes and breathed slowly to calm his racing heart. Somewhere in this building were Hardison, Nate and Ryna. They were counting on him.

Eliot opened his eyes and eased to the end of the corridor, peering around the corner. The hallway stretched out to his left and right, but there was a vaguely familiar scent to his right, over the smell of blood. He stepped over the still twitching body of the last man he'd dropped and headed that way.

Far enough from the blood, the smell was stronger. Hardison. He followed it cautiously, his eyes open for more trouble. He had no idea what was going on here, but when he found out who was behind all of this, who had touched his daughter and his friends…he stopped and cocked his head, listening to voices from the next hallway.

"I don't care what he is, find him and bring him to me."

He knew that voice.

Avonski. 

At least that explained what this was about. He should have known Avonski would find him. Too long in one place, hell he was all but fucking domestic anymore. And of all the people Eliot had wronged in the past, Avonski maybe had the biggest claim to revenge. What Eliot had taken from him…

"Get that damn hacker to start closing sections down. Drive him toward the hot box. And find that girl!"

Ryna. Eliot turned the corner, sniffing the air for signs of his daughter. Instead he smelled fear. A lot of fear…and Hardison. Growling, Eliot followed the scent, ducking into a side corridor as two men with guns came out of a set of double doors. 

He bit down on the urge to gut them both and let them pass, then went to the doors to listen. He could hear Hardison inside, mumbling to himself, fingers clacking loudly against a keyboard.

He eased into the room. Hardison wasn't alone. "Hardison." Eliot growled the name low as he moved closer. Hardison turned, sighing in relief.

"What took you so long?"

Eliot looked from Hardison to the man next to him and back. "I was on foot. Who's this?"

Hardison shook his head. "This here, is Chaos."

"Chaos?" Eliot was frowning. Chaos appeared to be in a daze, his eyes open, unblinking.

"He's a hacker. He got us all here."

"What's wrong with him?"

"Poisoned. He was out cold until about an hour ago. Then he woke up and started mumbling about fevers and spiders or something. Then he went all zombie-brain and has been sitting there like that for the last half hour."

Eliot waved a hand in front of the man's face. "Poison?"

Hardison was still afraid. "Yeah…and whatever it is, it's in me too. Avonski was using it to keep Chaos honest."

"What about Nate and Ryna?"

Hardison shook his head, his fingers flying on the keyboard. "I lost track. Look, they were here." He brought up a picture on one of the screens. "They got ambushed. Nate fought, Ryna ran. They went in opposite directions, but the cameras can't find them."

"What is this place?" Eliot asked.

"Near as I can tell, Avonski had Chaos build it to trap you. It's a maze of sorts, with rooms that are made to torture, there's a freezer and a sun room, and one with—"

"Hardison, just tell me how we get out of here." Eliot said.

"There's a back door, a security door, here." He pointed to a spot on the screen with the blueprint of the place. "Let's you out into the offices, which front the street."

"Let's go."

"Wait." Hardison pulled his arm free. "What about him?" He pointed at Chaos.

"What about him?"

"We can't just…leave him to die?"

"No?" Eliot turned to face him. "He brought you here to die. You and Nate and Ryna."

"No." Hardison shook his head. "No, he only brought us here to get you. He didn't know Avonski would kill us."

"You can't expect me to believe that."

"No? Here, look." Hardison turned back to the keyboard, bringing up a screen full of code that Eliot couldn't understand. "See this, when they brought me in here, this is what Chaos wanted me to work on. When he'd realized what Avonski was doing, he hacked his plane. He wanted me to ground the plane."

"What?" He grabbed Hardison's arm. "I don't care what kind of hacker's code or whatever Stockholm syndrome thing this is. We gotta go."

Hardison pulled his arm away, his face set and hard. "If we leave him here, he's going to die."

"I don't care."

"You may be okay with killing, Eliot, but I'm not. I'm a hacker, not a killer."

"You're not killing him. Avonski is."

"No." Hardison shook his head. "I've got the plane shut down, Avonski can't leave the country. I've got the whole front end of the building locked down. That eliminates half Avonski's men. Nate and Ryna have to be here somewhere." He circled an area on the blueprint with a finger. "Avonski is likely here." He pointed to a room not far from them. "There aren't any cameras."

Hardison stood. "He's got the antidote for the poison."

Eliot wanted to throttle him. It was going to be hard enough to get out of there without the added dead weight of a hacker who couldn't hack it. "Fine. But I ain't carrying his zombie ass."

Hardison pulled Chaos up and slung the slack hacker's arm over his shoulder. Chaos didn't blink, but he moved when Hardison did. That was something at least.

Eliot led the way out of the room. He wasn't sure which should come first, finding Avonski and the antidote or finding Ryna and Nate. They moved slowly, Eliot trying to sniff out trouble. "Okay, this section was never finished. Rooms under construction." Hardison said softly. "Not as many cameras."

"So, Nate and Ryna might be here." Eliot said. 

"Possibly."

"Keep your eyes open." Eliot paused at a door. The room beyond it was dark. He eased it open and sniffed. The room smelled of paint and sweat, but no sign of Ryna or Nate. He led them on to the next door.

"Eliot." Hardison hissed and Eliot turned as three men came at them. He shoved the door open.

"Get inside." 

Hardison and Chaos moved into the room as Eliot squared on the approaching men. "Come on." Eliot growled. Inside him the cat was roaring for blood and he was inclined to let him have it. 

The first of them went down with a punch to his nose that broke bones and left him unconscious. The second got claws, ripping his chest open. Eliot only barely held off the shift as the third one ran and he pounced.

They went crashing to the ground together, and Eliot bit into the soft skin of his throat, drinking him into submission.

Eliot pulled himself up, wiping the blood from his face. He inhaled deep to calm himself, but it only put him on edge. Ryna.

He turned.

At the end of the hall Avonski held Ryna.

"Well, well. Eliot Spencer. It's about time you showed up."

Eliot straightened up, his fist clenching.

He looked at Ryna, not Avonski. She nodded tightly, letting him know she was okay. He flicked his eyes up to Avonski. "I gotta say, I didn't expect to see you." Eliot said, taking a few steps toward them.

"I promised you I would find you one day."

"And here I am. Let the girl go."

"I do not think so, Eliot. She is your daughter, no?"

The urge to tear across the hall and rip him apart was growing. Eliot fought it, swallowed it…the cat was not an elegant solution, Ryna would get hurt. His fangs were cutting into his lip as he clenched his teeth, claws digging into his palms. 

"You took my daughter from me. It is only fair I do the same."

"What happened to Cassandra was not only my fault." Eliot countered. "You were the one who—"

"No!" Avonski yanked on Ryna's hair and stepped back, raising his gun at Eliot. "No. No more of your lies and stories. You know what you did."

"Fine. You want revenge? I'm right here. Let the girl go. You can shoot me."

"I can shoot you and take her. You won't be able to stop me. I will make her an assassin like this world has never seen."

Ryna screamed as the gun went off, her elbow jamming back into Avonski's gut, her hand grabbing his crotch as she dove for the floor. The bullet slammed into Eliot's shoulder as he jumped for them, claws out. 

Avonski was dead before he hit the floor and Ryna was pushing Eliot, rolling him over, her hands pressing at the wound. 

"I'm okay, Ryna." Eliot said once he'd found his voice. He sat up, pushing the cat back yet again so that his hands were normal when he pulled her to him. "I'm okay. Are you hurt?"

She shook her head. "Nate…he was…he's…" She pointed at the door that she and Avonski had come out of.

"Show me." Eliot got up and took her hand, letting her lead him into the room. It was dark and he could smell sawdust and blood. "Stay here." He left her to hold the door open, letting in what light the hallway could provide.

Nate was against the back wall, his head down, his arms out to his sides and as he got close enough, Eliot could see that there were nails through his wrists and palms, like a really bad attempt at crucifying him. "Nate?" His voice was soft in the silence. Eliot reached for him tentatively, lifting his face. 

He was bruised and bloody, his left eye lost under the swelling. "Nate."

There was a low groan, and Nate's right eye opened slowly. "All right. I've got you." Eliot bent his head to look Nate in the eye. "You with me?"

Nate swallowed against Eliot's hand. "Yeah. Get me down." His voice was hoarse and raw.

"Okay, gimme a sec." He moved to look at Nate's right hand. There was no way to do this that wasn't going to hurt…and he was going to need to feed almost immediately. "This is going to hurt." He braced himself and took Nate's hand and arm, exhaling slowly then pulling.

The sound of flesh tearing led to a pop and then the arm was falling free. Nate yelled, though there wasn't much sound. Eliot moved quickly to the other arm and did the same, catching Nate as he pitched forward. "Okay, let's get you some blood, then we get out of here."


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Without the antidote, Nate's blood is the only thing that might save Chaos and Hardison.

Just outside the door, Eliot lowered Nate close to Avonski's body. "He's dead, but I didn't take any. Should be enough."

Nate barely nodded, falling forward onto Avonski while Eliot called Ryna away from them. "But, Nate—"

"He's gonna be fine. You don't need to see that. We gotta get Hardison." He opened the door to the room where he'd stuck Hardison and Chaos.

He could tell from the scent that things weren't good. Lights came on and somewhere overhead a fan kicked on. "Hardison, we gotta go."

They were both down, only a few feet from the door. Hardison was sweating and shaking. The other hacker was gasping weakly, his airway constricted.

"Antidote?" Hardison asked. 

Eliot shook his head. "He died before…he's dead."

"Gotta find…"

Eliot squatted beside Ryna. "Go sit with Hardison. I'm going to check on Nate."

She looked like she wanted to argue, but instead she squeezed his hand and ran to Hardison.

Nate looked up from Avonski's body as Eliot came back into the hall. Eliot could already sense the improvement the blood was making. "Did you find the antidote?" Nate asked as he sat back against the wall.

Eliot shook his head. "He…I killed him before I could ask."

Nate closed his eyes, his arms cradled against his chest. "Help me up."

"You sure you're ready?"

"Help me up."

Nate lurched at him and Eliot hefted him up. Together they stumbled toward the room where he'd left the others. Eliot could see what Nate was thinking on his face. "Will it work?"

"Only one way to find out." 

Chaos was gasping, his hands at his throat now. He was going to asphyxiate and die if they didn't do something fast. Eliot helped Nate down beside him and watched as Nate lifted his still bleeding wrist to the hacker's face.

The blood dripped slowly into his mouth. "Swallow." Nate growled. Eliot bent over Chaos and shoved his mouth shut, plugging his nose and stroking his throat to get him to swallow.

"It's not working." 

"Hardison." Nate moved toward Hardison and Ryna. 

"I ain't…no. uh uh."

"Don't be a wuss." Eliot growled at him. Nate bit at the closing wound on his wrist and pushed his hand toward Hardison.

"It doesn't have to be much. Just a few swallows." Hardison turned away, but Eliot's hand on his face turned him back. 

"We don't have the antidote, Hardison. This is the only way." Eliot said in his ear.

His lips closed on the bleeding wound, his eyes closing. "That's it. Swallow." Nate murmured as he pulled away. For a long minute Eliot didn't think he would, then Hardison shook his head and swallowed. 

"Okay, rest up. I'm going to make sure the hallways are clear." Eliot left them sitting and went to the door. Ryna followed him, her hand slipping into his.

Nate joined them a few minutes later. "Hardison is looking better. I'm not sure about the other guy."

They both turned to look at Chaos who had at least stopped gasping and flailing against the floor like a fish out of water, but Eliot couldn't detect his heartbeat. 

"Is Hardison going to be a vampire now, like you?" Ryna asked suddenly. 

Nate squatted beside her. "No, honey. I didn't give him enough blood for that. Hopefully, it will just help with the drugs they gave him."

"We're clear." Eliot said. "We should move. Now."

 

"She's asleep. Finally." Eliot said as he came out of Ryna's bedroom. Hardison was nearly asleep himself, all bundled up on the couch after a second shot of Nate's blood washed down by a shot or three of whiskey.

Nate had assured Eliot that Hardison would be okay. They still didn't know if Chaos had made it out alive. 

The coffee table was littered with the remains of their respective methods of recovery, the whiskey bottle nearly empty amid cartons of blood from the butcher and the last of their blood bank stash, plus bags from the take out joint where Eliot had picked up meat for himself and a meal for Ryna.

Nate's face was pink from the amount of blood and booze in his system and his eyes were half closed as Eliot dropped into the chair opposite him. He was tired, and juiced with energy at the same time.

"So, you going to tell me what that was all about?" Nate asked. 

Eliot opened his eyes to look at him. He'd been half sure the vampire was asleep. "What?"

"The business with Avonski. Why was he after you?"

Eliot shook his head. "It was a long time ago. His daughter…Cassandra." Eliot could see her in his head as clear as if it had only been the day before he had seen her last. "Beautiful. Deadly."

He pushed himself out of the chair and paced a little. "She was young. Too young. Avonski trained her to be an assassin. At eighteen she already had a body count that was…impressive on someone twice her age."

Avonski had worked both sides of nearly any conflict, selling assassins to the highest bidders, and paying a premium for the best talent he could find. Eliot and Cassandra had been working a tandem deal, but Cassandra was just too young, unprepared. When the job went south, she didn't know how to handle herself.

"She was arrested by the Soviets. I went in after her. To get out we had to…let's just say it was not something I'm proud of. In the end, I put her on a boat with someone I thought I could trust, while I cleaned up the mess. She never made it home."

"What happened to her?" Nate asked.

Eliot shrugged, stopping by the coffee table and lifting the bottle of whiskey. He didn't bother with a glass, just took a swig from the bottle. "I never did find out. I didn't realize the bastard I trusted her to was running human cargo alongside his weapons. I can't imagine she would have gone down easily…but when the ship docked in Nigeria, she wasn't on it, and neither was he."

"And Avonski held you responsible."

"He had to blame someone." Eliot said, taking another hit. "I was convenient."

"But she was a criminal. He made her a criminal."

"Never said it was logical." Eliot countered.

Nate levered himself up out of the chair and moved to the couch, moving Hardison to a vaguely more comfortable looking position. "Bed." He pointed and Eliot snorted at him.

"Like that works."

Nate's hands found his hips and turned him, pushed him. "Bed, now." He whispered the words in Eliot's ear. "And maybe I'll fuck you before I make you go to sleep."

 

"Did Ryna argue about going to school today?" Nate asked as Eliot joined him in his office.

Eliot smirked. "Of course. Tried to tell me she had PTSD."

Nate chuckled and sat back in his chair. "Yeah, she tried that on me before I came in too."

Eliot closed the door and crossed to sit in the chair opposite Nate. "She's a smart ass."

"Like her daddy." Nate poured bourbon into his glass and lifted it.

"Yeah, well, it's gonna get her into trouble one day."

"Like her daddy." Nate repeated, saluting Eliot with the glass before drinking from it. "She's okay though, right?"

Eliot shrugged. "She was kidnapped, nearly frozen, subjected to a bad attempt at brainwashing, saw you feed from a dead body, watched you feed blood to Hardison and was more worried about whether or not Merlin was okay than the dead bodies she saw. I'd say she's okay." He exhaled and shook his head. "She's full of questions though."

"Yeah, she isn't letting go of finding out what's different about you either. When I was making her breakfast she was asking me again."

Eliot wished that was all she was asking about. "She spent the whole ride to school talking about how the father of some kid in her class is getting married." He pulled a hand through his hair. "Then, just before she got out of the car she asked me if you and me were going to get married some day."

Nate raised an eyebrow at him. "Married?"

"I know." Eliot stood and paced to the door and back.

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her to quit stalling and get to class." 

"That isn't going to keep her for long."

"I know." Eliot shook his head. It was getting harder to pretend he could be a father with the life he lived. "There are more men like Avonski out there, Nate. I've been a bad man, and I've hurt people…I've killed…and I've got enemies."

Nate stood. "What are you saying?"

"I don't know." Eliot sighed and leaned on the window sill. "Are we doing the right thing?"

"For who? For you? For her?" Nate's hand rubbed down his back.

Eliot leaned his head against the glass and sighed again. "I don't know…for all of us. I mean…she's a little girl. It was one thing when it was just us…when it was just the vampire thing…but Nate…" 

"No one said being a parent was supposed to be simple or easy…and any kid of yours is going to make it twice as hard." Nate said softly. "And granted, our particular situation doesn't help."

Eliot turned to lean against the window. "She'll never have a normal life with us. We're never going to get married and give her brothers or sisters."

"No, that's true." Nate agreed, stepping in close to put his hands on Eliot's hips and brush their lips together. "But she will be loved fiercely and she will learn how to take care of herself and she will grow up to be an amazing woman."

"If one of us or our pasts don't get her killed first." Eliot grumbled. It would kill him to send her away, to give her to someone else to raise, someone who could give her normal.

Nate's hand was gentle on his face. "Kids are resilient, Eliot. She's going to be fine."

 

“Where you going?” Nate asked as Eliot moved for the door.

“I got unfinished business with Hardison.” Eliot responded. “I fucked things up the other night.”

Nate raised an eyebrow. “So, what’s your plan?”

Eliot grinned. “I’m gonna seduce him.”

Nate snorted and crossed his arms. “Oh? How do you plan to do that?”

“I’m going to take him out into the woods and introduce him to his wild side.”

Eliot left Nate’s office and leaned into the conference room where Hardison was playing with his laptop. “Come on.”

Hardison looked up at him. “What?”

Eliot grabbed at his shoulder and pulled him up. “We’re going for a ride.”

“We are? I…but there’s…Nate?”

“You boys have fun.” Nate called as Eliot herded Hardison to the door.

“Where are we going?” Hardison asked as they got into Nate’s car.

“To finish our date.” Eliot said, pulling out of the garage and heading them out of town.

“Our date?” Hardison was clearly nervous. “I thought we decided that it was a dumb idea.”

“No. It ain’t. You need to understand.” Eliot pulled them off the road and into a grove of trees. “Get out.”

“Understand? What’s to understand? I…I give you and Nate what you need….and you…you don’t kill me.”

Eliot stopped undressing to look at him. “Is that what you think?”

“I don’t know, man?” Hardison said. “You…with the teeth and the claws and the sex…we both know it isn’t about me.”

“Are you suggesting that you’re some pity fuck? That I can’t get what I need from someone else?” Eliot asked, unzipping his jeans and letting them drop.

“That is **not** what I said, Eliot. Don’t put words in my mouth.”

“Take your clothes off, Hardison.” Eliot said, standing naked now.

“Here?”

“Yes, here.” Eliot responded. 

“Not that I don’t appreciate your offer, but man, look around you. We in the woods, man. Ain’t no place for sex.”

Eliot let the first stages of the shift ripple through him and lifted one clawed hand to the collar of Hardison’s collar. “I didn’t bring a change of clothes for you, so if you don’t want to go back to the office naked…”

“I’m going to regret this.” Hardison pulled his shirt up and off, shivering as the cool air caressed his chest. “If I get poison ivy—“

“Hardison.” Eliot growled.

“Okay, okay.” He dropped his jeans and stood awkwardly beside the car in just his boxers.

Eliot licked his lips as his eyes scanned over the tight body Hardison hid under his baggy clothes. He was an attractive man, even Eliot had to admit that. “I don’t want you to be afraid.” Eliot said, his voice softer than it had been. He let the shift deepen. He was almost to the part that hurt. “Don’t be afraid,” he said again, letting go.

He tried to hold the yell in, but it was too much and as he dropped to all fours and his body realigned itself, he could hear his voice bounce off the trees. When the change was complete, he looked up at Hardison, whose hands now covered his groin, his eyes wide.

Eliot inched forward slowly, sniffing at his skin, starting where his jeans bunched around his ankles, then slowly up until his nose brushed Hardison’s hands. “I won’t hurt you.” Eliot said, his voice odd coming from the cat’s mouth. He sat back on his haunches and looked up, waiting.

Hardison licked his lips and cleared his throat. “You…you can talk?” His voice squeaked a little.

“I’m still me.” Eliot affirmed. 

Hardison moved his hands slowly, one reaching out to rub at the top of Eliot’s head. “You…” He shook his head, eyes closing. Hardison’s heart was beating rapidly and the call of it was arousing, especially in his animal state.

Eliot moved swiftly, front feet against the car on either side of Hardison’s body. He rubbed his face against Hardison’s chest, licking over the skin, up to his nipples. The sound of blood rushing into his heart, the pounding as the beat quickened was intoxicating, but Eliot forced himself to go slow.

"I won't hurt you." Eliot said again. He forced the cat back some, breathing heavy as he fought to control it. He swallowed and cranked his neck, licking slowly up to Hardison's ear. "I want this." Eliot growled in Hardison's ear. "Understand?"

He was almost fully back to human, his cock hard and pressing against Hardison's leg. "I want you, beyond the whole blood thing."

He looked Hardison in the eye, looking for permission, for invitation. "Nate says you want it too, but you're afraid."

"I was afraid before you went all feline." Hardison admitted.

Eliot nodded slowly. "You never have to be."

"Eliot…"

"Let me show you." Eliot kept eye contact as he slowly knelt, his hands moving from the car to Hardison's hips, gently pulling his boxers down enough that his cock was free. Despite Hardison's fear, his cock was responding and Eliot wasted no time in encouraging it to full hardness, his tongue swirling over it and down the side.

He kept Hardison pinned to the car as he licked each centimeter of skin, flicking the head with the tip of his tongue before he opened his mouth and took Hardison's whole cock into him. 

Hardison tensed and Eliot got the impression that he was going to come quickly so he worked fast, sucking his way up and sliding back down until Hardison forgot his fear and grabbed Eliot's hair as he came.

Eliot swallowed around him until Hardison was whimpering and pulling on his hair to get him to stop. He sat back and grinned up at Hardison. 

The hacker took him by surprise though when he lurched forward, knocking Eliot backward and following him to the ground, his mouth searching out Eliot's, his tongue chasing after the taste of himself.

"Hardison…"

But Hardison apparently was done with being afraid, at least for the moment, and had Eliot's cock in his hand as he positioned himself over him. He spit into his free hand and rubbed it onto Eliot's cock then pushed down.

His mouth opened and he lifted up, squeaking as he worked himself down. "Fuck, man." Eliot tried to reach for his jeans and the little packet of lube he'd brought, but Hardison was determined and by the time Eliot got a hand on denim, Hardison was fully mounted and gasping.

He pulled up part way and sank down again and Eliot found himself closer to coming than he expected to be. Only Nate's bite ever brought him to orgasm that fast, but Hardison was working it now, picking up pace and Eliot grabbed his hip to steady the pace, driving up into him until he was coming and they were both panting and gasping for air.

Hardison rolled off and into the grass, laying beside Eliot while they both brought their breathing under control.

"Next time you wanna seduce me, can we use a bed?" Hardison asked a few minutes later.

"Next time why don't you seduce me?" Eliot countered, sitting up and pulling his clothes to him.

"Oh really, is that how it's gonna be?"

"See? I told Nate this was a bad idea." Eliot growled, pulling his shirt on. 

"Bad idea? You the one with leaves all up in his hair. You the one gonna be needing a flea bath after all this rolling around in the dirt."

"I'll show you dirt." Eliot got to his feet while Hardison was still trying to collect his clothes. "Get in the car."

"I love you too Eliot." Hardison smirked and jumped out of reach when Eliot swiped at him with one hand.

"Get in the car, Hardison."

"Give us a kiss. Come on, give us a kiss."

"Don't tempt me. Just get in the car."

Eliot started the engine as Hardison finished pulling his pants up and climbed in. They were quiet all the way back to the office. Eliot stopped the car outside the building and put it in park. "We good?" he asked without looking up.

"Yeah, man, we good." Hardison responded. "You coming?"

"I gotta go get Ryna from school. I'll see you at home tonight."

"I'm coming to your place?"

Eliot smiled and nodded. "I'll make dinner."

It wasn't perfect, but maybe they could make it work. Maybe.


End file.
